Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer

Those of us who enjoy trying new and different beers know that there are numerous styles and flavours to sample, but it is rare to find one that can be considered truly unique. The first time I tried Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer, the reaction was striking. This was a beer unlike any I had ever tasted before.

What makes Innis & Gunn unique is the aging process. This is what gives it its distinctive flavour.

The story goes like this:
Most scotch whiskeys are aged in used bourbon barrels, and are occasionally finished in port or sherry barrels. A few years back, distillery William Grant & Sons decided to make an ale-finished whiskey. So, they commissioned brewmaster Dougal Sharp to create a special Scottish-type ale to give the bourbon barrels a smooth, beery character. This beer was placed in the barrels for 30 days before being discarded.

The Ale Cask Whiskey was a big success and many months after production had begun, and many thousands of gallons of beer had been dumped, someone decided to try the ale and see what effect the oak barrels had on its flavour. The taste was a revelation, and Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer was born.

One of the things that makes this beer unique is its long aging process. After a seven day brewing phase, the beer is matured in the oak barrels for 30 days before spending another 43 days matturning in a marrying tun.

Now, let me be clear, this isn’t a beer just for the scotch drinker. Quite the contrary. In fact, I’m not a scotch drinker and I find this an extremely enjoyable beer. I like to call it the Drambuie of beers. Although it has no actual scotch in it, Innis & Gunn has that definite oak-aged flavour reminiscent of scotch, without the harsh bite, a description that could also be given to the scotch-based liqueur, Drambuie.

This isn’t a quaffing beer, but rather an enjoyable sipping beer. It is a slightly higher alcohol beer at 6.6% alcohol by volume, but the sweet, oak taste is best in limited amounts. I find I can’t drink any more than two at a time. For me, it works best as a special occasions beer.

The first thing one notices about the beer is its brilliant amber colour. I find pouring it into a goblet-style beer glass really allows the beer’s unique aromas to come out. As mentioned above, the beer has a distinct scotch-like oak flavour with hints of toffee and vanilla. It has a soft beginning with a scotch backend and a sweet aftertaste. The sweetness of the beer may be overpowering for some but I fiind it very enjoyable as a special treat.

Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer is available throughout the United Kingdom, Scandanavia, Canada, and the United States.

Recently, Innis & Gunn have introduced three more limited-edition varieties of their beer. The most recent addition is the new Rum Cask Finish Oak Aged Beer, matured for 60 days in barrels previously used for navy rum, this beer is 7.4% alcohol by volume. Also available is the Cask Strength Oak Aged Beer with a 7.7% alcohol by volume. Unfortunately, I’ve not had the opportunity to try these two varieties.

But I have tried the Innis & Gunn India Pale Ale. At 6.4% abv, it is a lighter coloured beer than its original oak aged cousin. It also has a lighter flavour. The bitterness of the India Pale Ale counteracts the sweetness of the oak aging to create a smoother drink with a definite touch of citrus flavour.

Only 64,000 bottles of the Innis & Gunn India Pale Ale were produced and it is available exclusively in Canada and at Waitrose grocery stores in the United Kingdom.